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K. "8. HOWARD & A. F. HOWE. TURN TABLE.

APPucATloN FILED Nov. 18. 1915.

l 1 94,50 l .n l Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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K. S. HOWARD & A. F. HOWE. TURN TABLE.

APPLICATION FILED O\!.$8|1915.

1 1l. 9%., 5U 1. Patented Aug. 15, 1916.

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Louis, in the H Il@ eiwitteratrnrir onirica;

KARL S. HOWARD, 0F ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AND ANDREW F. I-IOWE, OF GRANITE CITY, ILLINOIS.

TURN-TABLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented fing. f5, i916.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that we, KARL S. HOWARD and ANDREW F. flown, citizens of the United States, residing, respectively, at St. State of Missouri, and at Granite City, in the county of Madison and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in rllurnflables, of which the followingis a specification.

Our invention relates particularly to a ball bearing turntable specially adapted for use in foundries, machine shops, and other factories where the shunting of trucks from one direction to another is required, and our invention has for its object to provide a ball bearing turntable of light and simple construction which can be readily and quickly revolved with little labor and a minimum amount of friction.

It consists in features of noveltyl as here inafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of this specification, whereon,

Figure 1, is a top plan view of our im proved ball bearing turntable, showing the revoluble table broken away, and omitting the balls with the cage therefor forming part of our invention; Fig. 2, a vertical transverse section through the same on line 2, 2, in Fig. 1, with the balls and cage in position; Fig. 3, a top plan view of the balls and their cage; Fig. 4, through the same to enlarged scale, online 4, 4, in Fig. 3, and Fig, 5, a vertical transverse section to enlarged scale, through the turntable at one side thereof corresponding to that seen to the left in Fig. 2.

Like letters and numerals of reference denote like parts in all the figures.

Our improved turntable consists of a cylindrical base or support 0L open at the top and having its circumferential wall l formed at the bottom with a flange 1 which eXtends entirely around the inside of the wall 1, and through the flange 1 are formed suitable openings 2 for the purpose hereinafter described.

On the ange l and preferably, integral therewith (but may be separate therefrom and secured thereto if desired) is a ball race member I) which consists preferably, of two uprightannular rings 3 of suitable height and thickness respectively, one within the other at a suitable distance apart and concentric with the vertical center of the base a a cross section the rings 3 being level with each other at the top and preferably, in the present case, connected together at intervals around the race member by ribs 4, and to the wall 1 and flange l of the base a by ribs 4.

c represents the table which is concentric with and revoluble within the base a, the upper surface of the table c being preferably, iiush with the top of thewall l of the base a and formed with corrugations 5 or other suitable foothold.

Each ring 3 of the lower ball race member Z) is formed at the top with a beveled surface 6 which is inclined downward from the top to the inner side of the ring 3, the two beveled surfaces 6 converging toward each other and so forming a lower bearing for the balls d at each side of the vertical center thereof, the balls Z being arranged along the race member b at equal distances apart, and in the present case, preferably, eight in number (but may be more or less as 4 desired).

0n the underside of the table 0 and preferably, integral therewith, are formed two opposite annular projections 7 which are immediately above and opposite to the rings .8 of the lower ball race member b and concentric with the vertical center of the base a and table c at a suitable distance apart, each projection 7 being formed at the bottom with a beveled surface 8 which is inclined upward from the bottom to the inner side of the projection 7, the two beveled surfaces 8 converging toward each other and so forming the upper race or bearing for the balls d at each side of the vertical center thereof as in the case of the lower bearing 6.

rThe beveled surfaces 6 and 8, at, and adjacent to their points of contact respectively, with each ball d, are tangential to the said ball, and the two points of contact of the surfaces 6 and 8 respectively below and above the horizontal center of the ball 0l are in alinement with each other and radial to the intersection of the said center with the vertical center of the table c (as indidated by'the broken lines and y respectively, in Fig. 5). Also, in the present case it is to be noted that-the point ofy contact with the ball above and below the said horizontal center at each side of the vertical center of the ball are in the same vertical plane whereby the balls d when in action roll freely without sliding and the turntable c thereby revoluble with a minimum amount of friction. Furthermore, by means of the open space 9 extending downward vertically from the balls Z between the rings 3 of the lower ball race member ZJ combined with the openings 2 through the bottom of the base a, the balls CZ and their bearing 6 are kept free 'from dirt and other extraneous matter. f

For maintaining the balls d at their normal distance apart at all times, I'preferably use a cage e (see particularly Figs. 3, 4l, and 5) consisting of two preferably, flat rings l0 arranged fiatwise, one on each side of, and in the same plane with the horizontal center of the balls d, the rings 10 being connected together crosswise by two parallel bars 11, one on each side of, and clear of each ball al, and to the bars l1 is fixed an arch-bar l2 which spans and bears iiatwise on the apexof each ball d, whereby the balls Z are held in their respective positions at all times and, when in action,

carry with them the cage c practically without vcontact with the rings 410 and bars 11.

lWe claim 1. In a turntable of the class described, the combination of a base having a lower ball race member spaced apart therefrom and consisting of two opposite annular bearings at different approximate levels, a revolubler table having an upper ball race member concentric with, and corresponding tothe said lower member, a circuit of balls between and adapted to be rotated without sliding along the said members, the said bearings of the lower ball race member having intermediate continuous annular space extending vertically downward therefrom through the said base, and means for main- Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressin apart.

2. In a turntable of the class described, the combination of a base having a loweball race member spaced apart therefrom and consisting of two opposite annular bearings arranged side by side at a suitable distance apart, a revoluble table having an upper ball race member concentric with, and corresponding to the said lower member, a circuit of balls between and adapted to be rotated along the said members, the said bearings of the lower race member having an intermediate continuous annular space extending vertically downward therefrom through the said base, and means for maintaining the said balls at a constant distance apart.

3. In a turntable of the class described, the combination of a base having a lower lball race member spaced apart therefrom,

and consisting of two opposite annular bearings arranged side by side at a suitable distance apart, a revoluble table having an upper ball race member concentric with, and corresponding to the said lower member, and a circuit of balls between, and adapted to be rotated without sliding, along the said members, the said bearings of the lower ball race member having an intermediate continuous annular space extending vertically downward therefrom, and means for maintaining the said balls at a constant distance apart.

KARL S. HOWARD. ANDREW F. HOWE. Witnesses:

C. S. GRIFFITH, JOHN J. PATERSON.

g the "Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

Y taining the said balls at a constant distance 

